Kataklysm
Of Ghosts And Gods
Nuclear Blast
Release Date: 31 July 2015
Review by Joshua Bulleid
Of Ghosts And Gods is yet another Kataklysm album (the band’s twelfth, in fact) packed to the brim with haunting riffs and crushing grooves, that sounds like it picks up right where 2006’s masterful “In The Arms Of Devastation” left off.
The record takes a slight step back from the preceding Waiting for The End To Come (2013)—dropping a lot of the leads and solos that made that record stand out from the band’s formidable back catalogue. Consequently, opener, Breaching The Asylum seems rather subdued at first. However, Kataklysm are nothing if not persistent, and the following bounce and crunch of The Black Sheep and Marching Through Graveyards is a winning combination that remains consistent throughout the rest of the record.
Of Ghosts And Gods’ sonic palate is more accessible than most death metal releases, often bringing to mind the heavier end of the Metalcore spectrum (particularly the crunchy sections of Parkway Drive’s “Horizons” [2007]). Yet he more you listen to Of Ghosts And Gods the more it reveals itself, if only because it delivers too many solid riffs to properly take in, in one sitting.
Despite its groove-death onslaught, each moment on Of Ghosts And Gods has its own distinct feel and is perfectly crafted to stick with you long after its over—offering quite a bit more bang for your buck than most death metal releases.
…but, then again, this is Kataklysm we’re talking about.
